Pittsburgh Steelers
It was year 1933 when Art Rooney bought an NFL franchise for only $2,500. For more than seven decades now, the Pittsburgh Steelers have become a much-loved and well-celebrated part of the city, bringing a number of unforgettable moments to both Steel City and to the League.
Pittsburgh Steelers History
The Pittsburgh Steelers, the fifth oldest NFL franchise in the entire history of American Football, was founded on July 8, 1933 by an entrepreneur named Arthur Joseph Rooney. The team was originally named as the Pittsburgh Pirates. They were initially members of the 10-team NFL representing the Eastern Division. The four other initial members of the original NFL that is still in existences are the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Chicago Cardinals, and Chicago Bears.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, then was the Pirates, took their first-ever game on September 20, 1933, unfortunately losing to New York Giants with a final score of 23-2. Through their entire first decades, the team never finished a rank higher than just being second place in the division. Although, they made history when they signed in Byron White in 1938, to what was historically known as the biggest contract in the entire existence of the NFL. White is a future United States Supreme Court justice, but he only played wit the Pirates for one solid year before he transferred to the Detroit Lions.
In 1940, the team was renamed the Steelers because of the city prominent reputation in the steel industry.
During the Second World War, the Pittsburgh Steelers football team experienced shortages in their players. In fact, they even merged with other NFL team franchises twice. In 1943, the Steelers merged with the Philadelphia Eagles, consequently known as the Stealers or the Phil-Pitt Eagles. On the following year, in 1944, the Steelers have then merged with the Chicago Cardinal. They were subsequently known as the Card-Pitt. Unfortunately, they went with a score of 0-10, the first team in the entire NFL history to have not won anything.
However, in 1969, their luck has changed when they hired Chuck Noll as their head coach for the season. Noll’s unbelievable talent was his instrument to taking players into the Hall of Fame: Joe Green in 1969, Mel Blount and Terry Bradshaw in 1970, Jacj Ham in 1971, Franco Harris in 1972. In 1974, he unbelievably took four players to the Hall of Fame from the Steelers in one draft year: Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Jack Lambert, and Mike Webster.
The 1974 draft year by the Pittsburgh Steelers has become the best ever in the NFL history, considering that no other team has brought four players in the Hall of Fame in just one year.
The newly improved Pittsburgh Steelers with the help of their remarkable head coach, has formed one of the greatest NFL dynasties in the whole history, becoming the only team to have had won 4 Super Bowl in just as short as six years, as well as the only team to win more than two Super Bowls.
Getting To Know Art Rooney
Rooney was born on January 27, 1901 in Pennsylvania. He was an exceptional all-around athlete, one of which is the greatest pioneers of the sports world. He passed away following a stroke at the age of 87 in August 25, 1988. The Chief, to which he was called the most, is enshrined as one of the Professional Football Hall of Famers and will always be remembered as on of Pittsburgh greatest people.
Through the years, the Pittsburgh Steelers, despite of all the odds, has remained strong. They might have started their career on the wrong side of the road but things have definitely looked up for them.